Young People’s Blog

Love

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11).

Robert Cleaver Chapman was born in Helsingør, Denmark, on January 4th, 1803. Throughout much of his life he was known as the “Apostle of Love.” It was said of him that he not only preached the love of God, but he also lived it. He gave up a good position of prosperity in London, England to live among poor and working class people so that he could better minister the gospel and the truth of Scripture to them. He traveled hundreds of miles to bring the love of Christ to thousands of souls. He is noted as saying, “My business is to love and not to seek that others shall love me.” His caring and humble attitude had a marked impact on the lives of such men of faith as George Müller, J. Hudson Taylor, John Nelson Darby, and Charles Spurgeon. He deliberately avoided publicity because he did not want the attention that rightly belonged to the Lord.

What a testimony! It reminds me of the exhortation of the Apostle John: “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Ask yourself, “How can I show the love of Christ today?”

Dear Young Christian:

I read a statement this morning that spoke to my own conscience and I will pass it along for your consideration:

“True greatness is not attained by giving orders, but by serving.”

It brought to mind the verse that says, “By love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). Human nature is such that we love to be served and pampered. But true, practical Christian living is characterized by serving others. It is not so much a question of what someone can do for me but what can I do for someone else. We have the perfect example of the Lord Jesus who said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

As you start out this week, pray about how you can be of service to others. If you are sincere, I know you will have many opportunities to “do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). Serving others not only brings joy to the receiver, but also to the servant.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

The Cross

Here are some facts concerning the cross that are good for our hearts’ meditation on another “first day of the week” (Acts 20:7).

His willingness:

“And He bearing His cross went forth” (John 19:17).

His joy:

“Jesus … who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2).

His obedience:

“He … became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).

His blood:

“Having made peace through the blood of His cross.” (Colossians 1:20).

The consequence:

“The preaching of the cross … is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Our response:

“God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).

He Refused

“Refuse not Him that speaketh” (Hebrews 12:25).

The winds blew, and the sea rose, causing great disaster and loss of life in the North Sea. As night fell, a vessel was seen struggling against wind and tide making for the harbor. Seen by the coastguards to strike a rock, the word was passed to “Man the Lifeboat,” which was done. Several of the crew were clinging to the mast and rigging. One after another of the helpless, half-frozen sailors were borne from the place of danger to a seat in the lifeboat, while the crowd on the shore cheered the noble deliverers, who at the risk of their lives, rescued those who were “ready to perish” (Job 29:13). When they approached the captain, who was clinging to the shattered mast of the fast sinking ship, he refused to be carried from the wreck, first by maintaining that she would yet make the harbor, and finally, when every argument failed to convince him of his danger, he threatened to shoot, with a loaded pistol he had in his hand, any who would try to take him by force. The rescued men were carried to the shore, and, when morning broke, the wreck was gone and the captain with it.

What a sad commentary. And yet there are many on their way to hell refusing to be rescued and saved from their sins. I hope that you are not one of them!

Not Our Own

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Do you realize that you are not your own, that as a believer you belong to God, and that you are not free to do as you please or to use your body in any way you like? It is a serious thing to violate the property of another person, and even more so with God who not only is our Creator, but has purchased and redeemed us at great cost through the death and blood of His dear Son. He can say, “I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine” (Isaiah 43:1).

The unsaved picture this world as a playground in which to indulge themselves. They say “There is only one life and let’s live it to the full!” They follow the appetites and desires of the natural man to their detriment and folly. “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption” (Galatians 6:8). But for the believer, remember, “ye are not your own.” Live wholly and happily for the Lord!

Young People of Scripture
David

“And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth … And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth” (1 Samuel 17:33, 42).

We are not told how old David was when he went out to fight Goliath, but we know that he was a youth … a young person. Both King Saul and Goliath questioned his ability because of his age, but as is often the case in Scripture we see that the Lord delights to use young people in remarkable ways for the blessing of His people. Even his own brothers questioned his motives. “And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? … I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle” (1 Samuel 17:28).

Throughout his life David remained faithful to his God in spite of times of failure and discouragement. In the end the Lord records that he was “a man after Mine own heart” (Acts 13:22). Wouldn’t you like to have such a commendation?

Alone

“Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me” (2 Timothy 4:17).

Have you ever felt like all your friends and family have forsaken you? Maybe even brothers and sisters in Christ, and as a result you felt alone … so alone!

The Apostle Paul felt that way when he wrote this last letter to Timothy. When he was imprisoned for the last time and called to go to trial, he had to go alone, or so it seemed. How he must have felt it to have to say, “This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me” (2 Timothy 1:15). Yet he realized that the Lord was with him. He was alone as far as earthly companionship, but not alone because the Lord has promised, “Lo, I am with you alway” (Matthew 28:20).

So for us too, how good it is to have the assurance that we will never have to move forward or stand still alone. Our Lord will be with us, even in the most difficult of circumstances. His promise remains, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

Ever with us! Never alone!
Jesus our Savior, escorts us safe home!

Lying Lips

“Let the lying lips be put to silence” (Psalm 31:18).

Lying seems to be a way of life for many people. Several years ago, a survey found that 91% of those questioned lie routinely about matters they consider trivial; 36% lie about important matters; 86% lie regularly to their parents; 75% to their friends; 73% to their siblings; and 69% lie to their spouses.

Speaking the truth should be one of the outstanding characteristics of a believer. We are exhorted, “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds” (Colossians 3:9). Whenever we are deceitful, we are following Satan’s example, “for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44).

Lies are based on the false assumption that we can hide a wrong and protect ourselves from the truth by simply denying the facts. But lying merely compounds a problem. Honest confession on the other hand is the quickest way to forgiveness, and it puts us back under the wise council of God. Someone has well said, “To avoid lying, do nothing that needs a cover-up.” Remember too, the Bible clearly states, “Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are His delight” (Proverbs 12:22).

Dear Young Christian:

We tend to search for security in the world, which in reality is full of insecurity. Sometimes we make a checklist in our minds of things we need to do or get and think that if we are able to check off every box we can relax and be at peace. The problem is, we keep adding to the list, and only become frustrated.

There is, however, one way to have security in this life, and that is to develop a relationship of full confidence in the Lord. When David was in trouble, or felt his own inadequacy and insecurity, he knew where to turn. He could pray, “Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust” (Psalm 16:1). In Psalm 118 we read, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (verse 8). Solomon records, “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint” (Proverbs 25:19).

If you are looking for security in the things that you think you can accomplish you will be terribly disappointed. True and lasting security is found only in the Lord. He “is our refuge and strength” (Psalm 46:1).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

Sing Praises

“It is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely” (Psalm 147:1).

Songs of praise to God are pleasant to His ear. He enjoys hearing them — and it also cheers us when we sing. The problem is, quite often, that we don’t do it enough. We are so busy with our own lives that we don’t spend time in praising the Savior, or we are too busy listening to something with earphones plugged into our ears.

“I create the fruit of the lips” (Isaiah 57:19).

“He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God” (Psalm 40:3).

God implants praise in our hearts and on our lips, and it delights His heart when we give it back to Him in audible songs of praise. Let your heart sing to the Lord today. (Sing with your lips too, of course, but the content of your heart is what counts.) Praise the One who was willing to send His Son to die for you. Let Him know that you appreciate Him and what He’s done, and is doing, for you. “Sing unto God, sing praises to His name: extol Him…and rejoice before Him” (Psalm 68:4).